French President Nicolas Sarkozy has angrily denied accusations, during a live television interview, that he received money from deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to fund his first election campaign.

The claims, reported in news website Mediapart, allege that the Libyan regime donated 50 million euros.

“If he had funded it then I haven’t been very grateful,” responded Sarkozy who was reminded by the interviewer that Gaddafi’s son Saif al Islam had made the allegations.

“I’m not sure that he makes a good witness.
Gaddafi, who is known for talking nonsense, has even said that there were cheques. Well ask his son to present them,“ added Sarkozy.

In March 2011 during an interview with euronews, Gaddafi’s son claimed that Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign had been funded by his father.

“Sarkozy must repay Libya the money he took for his election campaign. We financed it. We have all the details and we are ready to publish them. The first thing we ask of this clown Sarkozy is that he repay this money to the Libyan people. We helped him become president so that he would help the Libyan people but he has disappointed us. And very soon we will publish all the details,” said Gaddafi.

Saif al-Islam was captured in November 2011 trying to leave Libya following the fall of the regime and his father’s death.

There is confusion over whether he will face trial in Libya or at the International Criminal Court in the Hague on charges of crimes against humanity.